The production of high pressure, decorative laminates from thermosetting resin impregnated, cellulosic sheets is well known in the art. These laminates are generally manufactured from a core layer, a decorative layer and optionally, an overlay layer. The core layer usually comprises from 2-12 sheets of phenolic resin impregnated kraft paper, the decorative layer usually comprises a melamine/formaldehyde resin impregnated, .alpha.-cellulose-containing pigmented or printed paper sheet and the overlay layer usually comprises a melamine-formaldehyde resin impregnated, .alpha.-cellulose-containing paper sheet which is transparent when the three layers are heat and pressure consolidated into the ultimate laminate. The thickness of these laminates normally ranges from about 1/16 inch to 3/8 inch although thicker high pressure laminates have been produced i.e. up to about 3/4-1 inch. Difficulties in the manufacture of such thick, high pressure, laminates, such as edge crazing under ambient dry conditions or at high temperature, have, however, mitigated against the production thereof such that these laminates constitute a very small percentage of the overall laminate market.
Attempts to produce thicker articles by gluing thin, high pressure, decorative laminates to one another have not proven successful because of the unattractive dark edge of the thin, laminates which is attributable to the phenolic resin in the core sheets and which is transferred to the thicker article. Additionally, the use of most commercially available adhesives to glue thin, high pressure, decorative laminates to one another also imparts a distinct color to the edges of the thicker articles at the points where the thin, high pressure, decorative laminates are cemented together.
A recent development in the laminate industry has resulted in the production of thin, high pressure, decorative laminates having an edge color consistent with the color of the decorative sheet. This result is accomplished by using pigmented kraft paper sheets in the core of the same color as that of the pigmented decorative sheet. The phenolic resin in the core is replaced by a non-darkening resin thereby eliminating the undesirable dark edge, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,261 and pending U.S. application, Ser. No. 650,559 filed Sept. 13, 1984 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,883, hereby incorporated herein by reference. The production of thicker, high pressure, decorative laminates containing these newer, colored sheets also suffers from the same difficulties in production as the thicker, darker edge, high pressure, decorative laminates i.e. incomplete curing of the resin, edge crazing, etc. Accordingly, if an article could be produced which does not have the tendency to craze at its edges upon subjection to high temperature and/or ambient dryness, a step forward in the art would be achieved.